Texas Wineslinger: Texas Blanc Du Bois arrives in Lubbock

Tuesday

Oct 9, 2012 at 8:13 PM

Russ Kane

Down in his winery's cool, cement-lined cellar at Haak Vineyards and Winery in Galveston County, Raymond Haak focused my attention on a white wine grape with an uncommon French name that's making a debut for consumers in the Lubbock area.

Haak said, "We've become known for the wide range of wines that we produce from an unconventional grape called Blanc du Bois. It resists Pierce's disease and grows well right here on the Gulf Coast, has amazing fresh fruit flavors, and has the flexibility to support seven different wines that we make."

Two of his Blanc Du Bois wines are dry, with dominant fresh citrus aromas; one produced by cold fermentation without oak and the other is aged sur lie (where wine is left with the yeast cells after fermentation) and given just a 'kiss' of oak aging. Lovers of Sauvignon Blanc and Chablis-style Chardonnay should be pleased. However, you might also find a hint of Muscat character in Blanc Du Bois, arising from its lineage, particularly in the riper, sweeter wines.

Haak said, "I have my semi-sweet and sweet versions of Blanc Du Bois that favor apricot and tropical fruits. And, we also make a fun blush wine called Pink Pelican where we blend it with a little red wine."

He continued, "Then, we have our powerful oak-aged white dessert wines. One is made in a white port-style that we let age for two years in new American oak barrels. We take this wine and continue aging it in oak barrels, but under heated conditions to deliberately oxidize the wine to make our Madeira."

I asked Haak what he remembered to be the best comment about his Blanc Du Bois wines. He answered, "It was in California at a wine seminar. I bumped into Jon McPherson, brother of Lubbock winemaker Kim McPherson and a winemaker in California himself. I invited him to my room to taste some of my wines. After he tasted my dry Blanc Du Bois, Jon said, 'Man, this is good. Can you duplicate it?' I told him, sure I can and I've been doing it in my winery every year for a while now."

Texas Wines of the Week

Now, for the first time, Haak Winery's award-winning Blanc Du Bois wines and the fun Pink Pelican blush wine are being sold in the Lubbock area nearly 600 miles from the winery's location in Santa Fe, Texas: